


‘I am Dazzled’ and Other Secret Messages

by Anonymous



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Language of Flowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29937795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Wooyoung is determined to endear himself to the cute student who keeps coming to buy flowers.
Relationships: Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28
Collections: Always With You - Woosang Fic Fest





	‘I am Dazzled’ and Other Secret Messages

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [marsmellowl47](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsmellowl47/pseuds/marsmellowl47) in the [WoosangFicFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/WoosangFicFest) collection. 



> Thanks to marsmellowl47 for the prompt and I hope you enjoy ♥

It was spring, the store was bursting with colour, and the cute boy had come back again.

Wooyoung hadn’t been on counter the last time the boy was in, but he’d seen him from out the back, prettier than any of the flowers. This time when the boy approached the counter, Wooyoung made sure he was there.

‘Um, do you have these?’ The boy held out a list, and didn’t meet Wooyoung’s eyes.

Wooyoung raised his eyebrows. 24 tulips, it said – eight red, eight orange, eight yellow. ‘That’s really specific.’

‘It’s for an art project,’ the boy said. ‘It doesn’t have to be right away.’

‘No, it should be okay,’ Wooyoung said. Too bad for anyone else who wanted tulips, that was all. ‘What sort of an art project is it?’ he asked, as he moved to the back of the store.

‘Oh,’ the boy said. ‘Photography.’

‘You’re a photographer?’

‘I’m a student.’

‘Student photographer?’

The boy made a noise of assent.

‘Is that at Seoul Arts?’ 

‘Yeah.’

‘What year?’

‘Second.’

‘So we’re the same age.’ Wooyoung had gathered the tulips together, and on a whim, he picked out a stem of ranunculus as well, tucking it in amongst him.

‘That’s not right,’ the boy said, when Wooyoung brought the flowers back out the front. ‘That, um –’

‘It’s a gift,’ Wooyoung said lightly. ‘Buy 24 flowers, get one free. You don’t have to put it in the photo though.’

Maybe the boy was taken aback; he just nodded, flustered. When he took the flowers off Wooyoung, he was almost overwhelmed by them; but still, Wooyoung thought, he was lovely.

‘What’s your name? I’m Jung Wooyoung.’

‘Kang Yeosang.’ The boy was definitely flustered.

‘Kang Yeosang, I’ll see you again?’

The boy nodded. He backed away from the counter, and then turned and left in a rush.

But Wooyoung, watching him go, felt satisfied.

* * *

Yeosang did return, repeatedly. He bought different flowers each time. The owner rolled her eyes at the way Wooyoung sprung to attention when he saw the other boy, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Still, if Wooyoung was serving someone else when Yeosang came in, she would pretend to be busy, so that Yeosang had to wait.

It was a bit embarrassing, that his crush was so obvious to his boss. As to whether Yeosang had any clue, Wooyoung didn’t know. He didn’t think Wooyoung gave bonus flowers to all his customers, did he? He couldn’t – he’d waited before when Wooyoung had served other people, and Wooyoung didn’t think he was as unobservant as that.

One day, Yeosang wanted lupins – ‘and some smaller flowers, it doesn’t matter what –’ and the pair of them had spent a quarter hour trying to work out what the flowers that didn’t matter should be. 

‘The lupins should look like trees,’ Yeosang said, trying to explain, ‘so they need to be proportionate.’

Wooyoung raised his eyebrows.

‘... that probably sounds silly.’

‘No, no,’ Wooyoung said. Yeosang obviously had an idea in his head. ‘It’s like an alien landscape, right? For really small people.’

‘Right,’ Yeosang said. He seemed relieved.

‘Trees for really small people,’ Wooyoung repeated. They went with hyacinths in the end, like bushes in full bloom.

‘Yellow hyacinths mean _fight to the finish_ ,’ Wooyoung said, when he was wrapping the flowers. ‘Did you know that?’

‘No,’ Yeosang said. ‘That’s kind of dramatic.’ He hesitated. ‘Do you know meanings for all the flowers?’

‘I do,’ Wooyoung said. He handed over Yeosang’s bouquet, but Yeosang didn’t seem like he was in any hurry to leave. ‘Sometimes it’s funny to put things in arrangements that mean the wrong thing,’ Wooyoung went on. ‘Like when guys want to apologise to their girlfriends and you put something in that means _betrayal_.’ He dropped his voice on the last word.

‘I think maybe you don’t have enough to do at work,’ Yeosang said with a straight face. Wooyoung laughed.

‘Probably not,’ he said, hoping the owner wasn’t listening. ‘I meant to ask, do you put on an exhibition or something? Or do you just take the photos to class and everyone nods sagely and makes incisive comments?’

‘There’s some of that,’ Yeosang said, with a laugh, and he ducked his head. ‘But there is an exhibition. At the end of term.’

That couldn’t be far off. ‘You should tell me when it’s on.’

‘Oh,’ Yeosang said, and bit his lip. ‘I’m not even sure they’ll use anything of mine.’

‘Why wouldn’t they?’

‘Well –’ Yeosang looked down into his flowers – ‘I’m not sure they’re any good.’

Wooyoung frowned at him. ‘You’re a student, aren’t you? Aren’t they supposed to help you work that sort of thing out?’

Yeosang shrugged.

‘Well, even if they’re not any good,’ Wooyoung said, ‘you should show me. I’d like to see.’ He’d picked a pansy to give Yeosang that day, and, on a whim, he leaned forward tucked it behind Yeosang’s ear. ‘The pansy means _please think of me_.’

He was worried, for a moment, that he’d misjudged, and Yeosang would react badly. But he just hid his face behind the flowers, cheeks turning pink. It was quite charming.

If it were Wooyoung, he’d only want to take pictures of Yeosang, and never mind the flowers. He supposed that was why he wasn’t an art student.

‘Thanks for your help – I’ll see you again,’ Yeosang said, all in one breath, and he ran out the store.

Well, Wooyoung had the second half of that to hold on to.

* * *

‘Hydrangeas,’ Yeosang said, the next time he came in. He was facing one of the displays, not looking at Wooyoung directly.

‘Blue, pink, purple?’ Wooyoung asked, leaning over the counter.

‘Blue,’ Yeosang said. ‘But I need, like, a lot of them.’

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes.’ How many is a lot?’

‘I need to cover the floor,’ Yeosang said. ‘Not a big floor, just … from there to there, maybe.’ Yeosang indicated one aisle of the shop, and then he made a face. ‘It’s too many.’

They’d have to make an order, Wooyoung knew, and it wouldn’t be cheap. He’d seen Yeosang wince as he was paying before.

‘I have a better idea,’ Wooyoung said. He checked over his shoulder, but the owner wasn’t paying attention. ‘Are you free after four?’

‘After four?’

‘Yeah. We have a small window of opportunity. It won’t cost you anything.’

‘Um,’ Yeosang said.

‘Don’t think about it,’ Wooyoung said. ‘Just tell me if you’re free.’

‘I … sure.’

‘Then meet me here,’ Wooyoung said. He considered. ‘You might want to bring some boxes with you.’

* * *

Whatever his misgivings, Yeosang was there when Wooyoung finished work.

‘Don’t look so nervous,’ Wooyoung said, when he came outside to meet him. ‘We’re going to get flowers, not do crime.’

‘Where are we going?’ Yeosang looked uneasy.

‘My house.’

‘Your … is that okay?’

‘Sure,’ Wooyoung said. ‘We have a lot of hydrangeas out the back. We just have to do it before my parents get home.’

‘That doesn’t sound like it’s okay.’

Wooyoung made a dismissive noise. ‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘Mum’ll get over it.’

‘I don’t want your mother annoyed at me.’

‘She won’t be annoyed at you, she’ll be annoyed at me,’ Wooyoung said. ‘That means it’s fine.’ Maybe he’d get told off, but Wooyoung would convince her it was for a good cause. Her son’s love life was a good cause, right?

They caught the bus back to Wooyoung’s house. It was nice, in a way, to have an excuse to sit next to Yeosang, their bodies touching. Wooyoung tried to get Yeosang to show him the photos he’d already taken, but apparently you didn’t take fancy art school photos on your phone.

‘That’s not fair,’ Wooyoung said. ‘I think I should get a sneak preview.’

‘Why?’ Yeosang said. ‘You already know what’s in the photos. Isn’t that enough?’

‘I’m sure you don’t take pictures with florist’s paper still wrapped around everything.’

‘That’s true.’

‘So I want to see.’

‘Well, I can’t help what you want,’ Yeosang said. His eyes crinkled up in a smile, and he looked away out the window.

‘What’s funny?’ Wooyoung said.

‘Nothing,’ Yeosang said. He caught Wooyoung’s eye again, still smiling. ‘I haven’t disappointed you so much that you won’t let me steal from your family’s garden after all, are you?’

‘It’s too late now, I’m already committed.’

Wooyoung wondered if he could get away with holding Yeosang’s hand. Not for long, not so that anyone would see. Yeosang had to know that Wooyoung liked him, didn’t he? Even if Yeosang didn’t know what Wooyoung’s flowers _meant_ , he had to know what Wooyoung was trying to say. Unless he was too straight to recognise Wooyoung’s flirting. No – Wooyoung knew he’d gotten it last time. He hadn’t acted like Wooyoung was out of line for it.

Wooyoung was probably overthinking things.

They got off the bus by the convenience store, stopping so that Wooyoung could buy them drinks before they walked the rest of the way in the sunshine. When Yeosang protested, Wooyoung told him poor students without jobs should shut up. And Yeosang did.

It was nice.

There was no-one there when they got to Wooyoung’s house, thankfully – Wooyoung didn’t have to make any introductions or excuses. He led Yeosang through the house, stepping quietly as if they might get caught, and out to the back garden.

‘Ta da!’ he said, when he opened the door for Yeosang. ‘Hydrangeas.’

‘Wow,’ Yeosang said, walking out past him. ‘Your parents must really like them.’ The bushes were replete with flowers, this time of year, and some of them were as tall as Wooyoung was.

‘I think they were already here when they bought the house,’ Wooyoung said. ‘It’s not like you’d want to get rid of them, once you’ve seen them in bloom.’

‘And now we’re going to denude them,’ Yeosang said. He looked at Wooyoung uncertainly. ‘Are you sure this is okay? I mean … it’s not like we really even know each other.’

‘It just means you owe me,’ Wooyoung said. ‘So as long as you’re not bothered about being in debt the rest of your life …’

‘Is that so?’ Yeosang pretended to be downcast. ‘I guess I’ll just have to cope.’

‘I’ll get the secateurs,’ Wooyoung said.

* * *

They filled the boxes Yeosang had brought and then some – enough that Yeosang had to order a car home. Before they said goodbye, Wooyoung cast his eye around the rest of the garden. The roses were in bloom this time of year as well, and there were some small red roses that Wooyoung thought would be perfect. He went to cut a stem, and handed it to Yeosang formally.

‘Here’s today’s free gift,’ Wooyoung said. ‘Don’t prick yourself.’

Yeosang took the spray of flowers carefully. ‘Does this get added on to my debt?’

‘Yes, but don’t worry,’ Wooyoung said. ‘I’ll come up with some way for you to repay me.’

Yeosang ducked his head as he tried not to laugh. Then he set the roses down on top of the hydrangeas, and went to wait for the car.

* * *

Wooyoung came back from his day off the next week to find Yeosang had left him a leaflet for the student exhibition. It was at the end of the month, apparently.

‘I don’t know why you don’t just exchange phone numbers,’ the owner said. ‘Why do I have to pass on this stuff?’

‘It’s because you’re so kind,’ Wooyoung said. ‘And it’s more exciting this way.’ There was something fun, about not knowing when Yeosang would come in. In anticipating him. It wasn’t a state he’d want to stay in forever, of course, but Wooyoung had made himself clear. It was up to Yeosang on how to respond.

As it was, Wooyoung was going to go to the exhibition opening night, and hope that Yeosang’s invitation had been meant the way he hoped.

* * *

The gallery that evening was crowded. Wooyoung hadn’t realised opening night was such an event – there was a thrum of excitement in the air, supplemented by the free food and drinks. Wooyoung took some canapes, but he was busy scanning the crowd, looking for Yeosang. There were so many people, and Wooyoung didn’t know any of them –

But there Yeosang was. Standing with a couple of other students, on the edge of the conversation. His eyes lit up when he saw Wooyoung’s wave, and he split off from the others.

‘I didn’t realise there would be free food,’ Wooyoung said, when they were in speaking distance.

‘It’s the main attraction, really,’ Yeosang said. He met Wooyoung’s eyes shyly. ‘I didn’t know if you’d actually come.’

‘Of course I came. Being as you so heartlessly refused to show me anything ahead of time.’ He gave Yeosang a shoulder bump. ‘You should show me where your work is.’

‘Right,’ Yeosang said. ‘Follow me.’

There were enough people in the gallery that it was hard to make their way around. It seemed to Wooyoung that Yeosang was right – the point of the event was more the eating and drinking – and talking – than it was the art. The art was just an excuse.

Still, Yeosang knew where they were going. He hung back, and let Wooyoung step forward alone.

Wooyoung recognised Yeosang’s work right away: two photos printed large. Wooyoung recognised the flowers in them – and at the same time, did not recognise them.

Both photos were taken in a plain white room. One used the tulips, which had been fixed to look as if they’d grown out the floor – it gave them the appearance of some alien plant. Not at all like the tulips that grew in fields, or that Wooyoung made into bouquets. The other photo was of the hydrangeas, but rather than the careful spacing out of the tulips, these were laid closely together, as if the flowers formed a carpet, or an ocean.

Wooyoung looked back at Yeosang, who was standing there awkwardly.

‘I should have brought my mother,’ Wooyoung said, gesturing at the hydrangeas. ‘Her flowers are famous.’

Yeosang cringed a little. ‘Was she mad?’

‘Oh yeah, totally,’ Wooyoung said. ‘But it’s cool.’ He looked back at the photos again. ‘And this is cool. I haven’t done this before – am I meant to stand here and comment on how the hydrangeas represent the loneliness of modern society, that sort of thing?’

‘Uh.’

‘The flowers are gathered so tightly together, but because the hydrangea means _heartlessness_ , it represents our inability to connect with our fellow humans even in the midst of a crowded city. Am I close?’

Yeosang laughed out loud, and tried belatedly to hide it. ‘I couldn’t say,’ he said. ‘It sounds good though.’

‘Maybe I’ll become an art critic on the side,’ Wooyoung said. ‘If it means I get all this free food …’

‘Do you want to go back to the snack table?’

‘No, let’s walk around and make snooty comments about everyone else’s art first.’

‘Maybe hold back on the comments,’ Yeosang said. ‘I think everyone’s here.’

‘Gotcha.’ Wooyoung winked at him. ‘We’ll save those for later. It’s alright if we hang out, right? You don’t have to network or anything?’

‘It’s fine,’ Yeosang said. ‘It’s probably easier this way.’

‘Easier?’

‘I’m not very good at the whole networking thing.’ Yeosang looked away when he said that.

‘But you’re charming.’

Yeosang looked back at him, like _seriously?_ ‘I think that’s you.’

‘Me as well, obviously.’ Wooyoung linked arms with Yeosang, before Yeosang could register what he was doing or resist. ‘Come on, let’s try and explain what these teapots over here mean.’

* * *

Wooyoung found he enjoyed the evening – not just making up commentary on the art, but also being introduced (introducing himself) to Yeosang’s tutors or his classmates. Some of them were more self-absorbed than others, but they didn’t have to keep talking to those ones.

Mostly he was happy to be hanging out with Yeosang outside of a work context. As if they were actually friends. Maybe, if Wooyoung played his cards right, more than friends.

They had to stand through some speeches, but that was alright. Afterwards, Yeosang leaned in close, and he said, ‘Do you wanna get out of here?’

‘If you like.’

‘We could get coffee, maybe?’ Yeosang’s eyes were very bright.

‘Coffee sounds good. You don’t need to say goodbye to anyone?’

‘Definitely not.’

They ducked out together. Outside of the exhibition, the campus was quiet, this time of evening, and it was pleasant in the cool evening air.

‘Did you have somewhere in mind?’ Wooyoung asked.

‘Let’s just get takeaway and sit in the park,’ Yeosang said. Wooyoung thought maybe Yeosang was sick of people, for the moment. It made him feel warm, that Yeosang didn’t mind sticking with him for a bit longer.

They got coffee from one the campus convenience stores, and then Yeosang led Wooyoung to a little park behind the building. It was a pretty space, and Wooyoung could smell jasmine from where it grew up behind the park bench where they sat down.

‘That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,’ Yeosang said. ‘Thanks for coming.’

‘Are those two sentences connected?’ Wooyoung asked. He shifted in his seat, so that he was facing Yeosang.

‘Uh. Well, it was more fun because you were there,’ Yeosang said. He lowered his eyes like he was nervous saying it.

‘I was glad to come,’ Wooyoung said. ‘It was fun. And you should be happy.’

‘I”m happy now,’ Yeosang said quietly. He held his coffee in both hands, and he took a sip.

‘I think it’s really neat that you can think of that kind of thing,’ Wooyoung said. It’s not like he’d ever had that sort of creative talent. Putting together bouquets wasn’t the same, even though he liked his job, and he liked the idea of contributing to things that were important to people. Celebrations, or condolences. Or confessions. ‘Hey, Kang Yeosang.’

‘Yeah?’

‘You should give me your number,’ Wooyoung said, ‘so I can ask you out properly.’

He couldn’t quite tell, in the fading light, if Yeosang was blushing.

‘Do you need my number to do that?’ Yeosang asked.

‘Yes.’ Wooyoung pulled his phone out and offered it to Yeosang; Yeosang took it gingerly. Wooyoung leaned closer, as Yeosang entered the contact, and then when Yeosang gave him his phone back, he texted him straight away: _Do you want to go out properly?_

Yeosang pulled out his own phone, and then he laughed when he read the message, as if he couldn’t believe it. He glanced over at Wooyoung, who did his best to look innocent.

Yeosang texted him back: _ok_. And then he bent over and covered his face with his hands.

‘Okay,’ Wooyoung said out loud.

Yeosang nodded.

‘You’re really cute.’

‘Shut up,’ Yeosang said. ‘I’m embarrassed.’

‘What’s there to be embarrassed about?’ Wooyoung said. He nudged Yeosang’s foot with his, but Yeosang just shook his head, and didn’t answer.

He really was cute.

‘Well, I’ll let you just sit and absorb that for a bit,’ Wooyoung said. He picked up his coffee, which was cooling quickly. ‘Now, do you like theme parks, or is that too corny?’

‘It’s corny,’ Yeosang said. ‘I’ll go if you’re asking, though.’

‘I’ll take that as enthusiasm.’

They sat together, talking for a while longer. Then when they got up to leave, Yeosang reached behind them, and he broke off a sprig of the jasmine growing there.

‘Here,’ he said, holding it out to Wooyoung. ‘I’m beginning repayments.’

‘Good idea,’ Wooyoung said. He took the jasmine, and he twirled it in his fingers. ‘You forgot the interest though.’

‘The interest?’ Yeosang said. ‘What sort of predatory flower-lending practices are these?’

‘It’s not my fault if you didn’t read the fine print,’ Wooyoung said, his smile growing. ‘No, I just meant this.’ He leaned forward to peck Yeosang on the lips, too quick for Yeosang to respond.

‘Oh,’ Yeosang said. ‘It’s _that_ sort of repayment plan.’

‘Uh huh.’

‘I get it. Can I take those flowers back then?’

‘No,’ Wooyoung said. He laughed, and turned away from Yeosang. ‘No, they’re mine now.’ He held the flowers up to his face, and breathed in the scent of them.

Jasmine meant _amiability_ , _friendliness_. It meant _sensuality_. He didn’t think he’d point that out to Yeosang just yet.

He reached back and caught Yeosang’s hand in his, and Yeosang curled his fingers around his.

He didn’t have to tell Yeosang just yet, but later ...

There was, Wooyoung thought, so much to look forward to.

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a lot of time looking up flowers for this fic! Hopefully nothing is terribly out of season – this was almost as much of a concern to me as the meanings were. Here are the sites I referred to:
> 
>   * [Flowers meaning in Korea – birth flower (by birth date)](https://dayoung.space/en/flowers-meaning-in-korea-birth-flower-by-birth-date/)
>   * [What Do Flowers Mean In Korean Dramas?](https://koreandramaland.com/flower-language/)
>   * [The Language of Flowers](https://hananokotoba.com/the-language-of-flowers/)
> 



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